Monday, May 16, 2011

My Top 5 Anime shows

I have a lot of geeky tendencies. One of which I never really developed was love of anime. Not being a crazed Otaku never really hindered me but I did have a handful of shows that impressed me when I watched them and followed them pretty regularly. With that in mind I wanted to share my Top 5 anime shows I enjoyed and recommend them to you if you are looking to expand your horizons.

5. Trigun- A distant planet is a desert wasteland with a western theme. A young man named Vash the Stampede has a huge bounty placed on his head and is declared a human natural disaster by an insurance agency. His mysterious past brings trouble wherever he goes but he still brings a message of peace and love despite being the best gunslinger on the planet.

Why you should watch it-It’s pretty silly. It’s got a real tongue-in-cheek feel to it and yet it still keeps up its moral of pacifism, peace and love despite the constant attacks on Vash’s life.

4. Fullmetal Alchemist- Edward Elric and his brother Alphonse made a mistake years ago. Using alchemy to attempt to bring their mother back to life Alphonse lost his body and his soul is attached to a suit of armor. Edward lost his arm and leg in the process. The world they live in is like ours but without the science and instead alchemy is used to get by in day to day life. Edward and Al now try to learn new ways to develop their skills in order to get their bodies back.

Why you should watch it- The entire theme is that you can’t get something without giving something of equal value. The relationship between the Elric brothers is very touching and despite the amount of horrible things that they face they are always together.

3. Death Note- Light Yagami is a teen age genius who comes across a death note, a notebook belonging to a Shinigami (Death god). Whenever he writes a person’s name in the notebook they will die. The power goes to his head and he uses it to kill criminals. A genius detective that goes by the name of L goes after him and they begin a dangerous game of cat and mouse.

Why you should watch it- The entire story plays like a wild chess game. Everyone plays off everyone else really well and in the end it makes for a really well weaved together story. Three feature films were made in Japan that were based off it. They were okay but the show had a lot more depth to it and lasted a good long while before the exciting conclusion.

2. Samurai Champloo- During the Edo period of Japan a young waitress, Fuu, hires two ronin, Mugen and Jin as bodyguards as she goes out in search of a samurai that smells of sunflowers. Their journeys take them throughout Japan and they face many obstacles including their past.

Why you should watch it- It’s like taking the stylization of a Kurosawa movie with hip hop art at times. These mixes of modern and Edo stylization really make it a wild and crazy ride. The character’s interactions with people make it a really worthwhile tale that you really want to last. The soundtrack is also fantastic.

1. Cowboy Bebob- A space western of sorts where an eclectic group of space bounty hunters try to make ends meet in a galaxy that is full of swindlers and criminals. They face their pasts and the dangers of space in episodes that run the gamut of themes.

Why you should watch it- Spike Spiegel, Faye Valentine, Jet Black, Edward, and Einstein all are amazing characters. The climax of the series is possibly the loveliest way to end a show. It’s got tragedy, romance, comedy, and thriller. They soundtrack is by Yoko Kano and is super memorable. If you don’t believe me look up the intro on Youtube sometime and it listen to how the mood of a show can blow you out of the water before even starting. The show had a theatrical movie release as well. Some folks believe that “Firefly” ripped off the show idea from this source since it’s essentially the same concept. I tend to think that while it’s a close idea it’s not a total rip off.

So that is my list of anime shows I enjoy. There are others outside of this list that is pretty decent. If you have a chance to watch any of these let me know what you think in the comments. If you have your own anime shows that you enjoyed let me know what you like. In the meantime enjoy the shows.